Engine-governor



3l sheets-sheet A1.

.(No Model.)

G E Dow -E lTGfIlNTE GOVERNOR'.

No. 504,205. Patented Aug. 29,1893.'

(No Model.) 3 sheetssheet 2. G. E. DOW. ENGINE GOVERNOR.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. DOW, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

ENGINE-GOVERNOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 504,205, dated August 29, 1893.

Application filed August 1l 1892. Serial No. 441.852. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it mag/concern..

Beit known that I, GEORGE E. DOW, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of Califoruia, have invented an Improvement in Engine-Governors; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to an improved speed governor or regulator which is adapted to control the admission of steam, gases or iuids, such as may be employed in operating different kinds of engines of the reciprocating piston type for the purpose of maintaining a uniform speed under variations in pressure, or resistance of the load.

It consists mainly in the employment of single oppositely acting plungers operated by the engine to be governed, and acting through the medium of a liquid fulcrum upon the engine valve, and in certain details of construction which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings in whichp Figure lis a vertical section ontheline -x of Fig. 8. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken at right angles to Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line z--z of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on line y-y of Fig. Fig. 5 shows its connection vwith a valve below. Fig. 6 shows the connection of a supplemental plunger with the regulating stem T.

In a former patent issued to me June 28, 1887, No. 365,508 I have described a governor of this description which my present device resembles in some particulars.

A is a cylinder, preferably placed in a vertical position and partially iilled with oil or other suitable liquid, the quantity of which may be indicated and observed by a gage tube or sight-glass M, or other means. Within this cylinder the pump chamberB is fitted to move vertically. The upper end of the pump chamber fits in the upper section or portion N of the cylinder which is made of the proper diameter at that point, and the lower end of the chamber correspondingly iits the lower portion of the chamber-A, as shown. Intermediate between these two points is seated a spiral spring O, the upper portion of which rests against the inside flange of the section N, while the lower portion rests and presses 'upon a projecting ledge or ange b made by the enlargement of the pump chamber B at this point to fit the interior diameter of the cylinder A. This spring tends to press the pump chamber down, and in a state of rest, the chamber will rest upon the ledge A formed in the lower part of the cylinder. A weight or lever as a substitute for this spring can be used when preferred, to press downward on the pump chamber B. Within this pump chamber are fitted two plungers D. These plungers are long enough and have sufficient bearing in their respective chambers to guide themselves properly without any supplemental guides.

In the lower part of the cylinder A,beneath the pump chamber B, is an oscillating double arm lever F iixed to the inner end of a horizontal shaft F which extends through a suitable stuiiing-box into the chamber. The opposite ends of this oscillating leverFare connected with the plungers D by pitmen E. 'Upon the outer end of this shaft F is a rocker arm G which is connected with any reciprocating portion of the engine so as to cause the movement of the plungers D coincident with the reciprocating movements of the engine piston.

Above the pump chamber B in the section N, is an open space L, and this space connects with the space I below the pump chamber by means 'of passages L', made through chamber B (Figs. 2 and 3).

In the upper part of the pump chamber B and above the chambers of the plungers D are fitted valves K closing downwardly over the ports C', and in the upper ends of the plungers D are upwardly opening valves H which also close downwardly, and shut the ports passing through these plungers. From the bottom of the chambers in which the valves K move, passages W (Figs. l and 2) connect with a vertical central passage W which extends upwardly from the passages W and within the upper part of the pump chamber B. From this passage W another passage S leads outwardly and discharges the liquid into the chamber I below the pump chamber B (Fig. 2). The pump chamber B has a smaller extension B', as shown in the present case, which extends upwardly through the upper section N of the `cylinder A, and a screw stem T fitting a corresponding opening lOO gers D are caused to reciprocate in unison,V

with the reciprocations of the engine piston. As each plunger is drawn downwardly, its valve H opens to allow the oil orotherliquid to pass from the chamber I up through the plunger into the upper part of its chamber C a'ndabove the plunger. When the plunger moves upwardly, the valve Hlcloses, and the valve Ii in the plungerk chamber upon that side is opened so as to allow` the liquid to pass freelythroughthe port Clinto thepassage W", andthence into the passage W from which.

it passes outthrough the transverse regulating passage S into the chamber L, thencereturning through the passages L to the chamber I in the lower. part of the cylinder A. It will be manifest that the constant reciprocations ot" these plungers Dwill. tend to raise the plunger chamber B, and the extentlto which this' chamber is `raised depends altogether upon the size or adjustmentofthe escapepassage S by which the liquid is allowedl to pass out ofthe passage W.

XVhen it is desirable to connect thisgovernor with an engine valve situatedtbelow, the upper partor extension .Bf'ot the pump chamber B is connected (see Fig. lwith a transverse yoke B2 and side rods B3 extend-` ing downwardly from the outer ends of. this yoke, connecting it with anotherA yoke Bibelow. From this yoke connection is made with the engine valve B5 to be governed. Zhen the plunger D upon one side ismoving upwardland forcing liquid through thevalve K upon that side, and the other plunger.. D1 is movingmdownward, it is necessary to retain the valve K which is above the downwardly moving plunger, closed by a positive pressure, and in order to do this I. have shown passagesY extending from each chamber,l C in which the plungers D move to a point above the valve of the opposite chamber; that is, the passage which leads` from` the cli-ambervof` the plunger which is moving upwardly, delivers a portion of the liquid l into 1 fregulateA the .movement of thescrew stem T zand `the size of` the opening S automatically,

the space above the chambercontaining the valve K in that plunger which at that time` is moving downwardly, and, consequently,

the pressure which is caused by the weighted. pump chamber and its attachments andthe comparatively small orifice allowedfor the escape ofthe liquid through the passage S the same time the passage Y which connects .thechamber of the downwardly moving piston withthe chamber ofthe upwardly opening valve K, relieves the latter of all pressure and thus allows it to open freely for the escape of liquid from the plunger chamber C. This construction is especially desirable,

because it also keeps both the valves closed at the instant when the engine piston andthe plungers D have reached one end of their stroke, and are for the moment stationary.

,Unlessthe pump chamber B could be retained in the position which it occupied at that instant, it would sink, causing an opening of the steam valve during the pause of reversing, and would consequently act to open the valve whichitisintendedxto govern lat the instantw-hen. the return stroke commenced, andwhen` it was least` desirablelto have.. the valve so. opened. .these passages Y W-hichleadfromthe. plunger chambers to the valvechambers, ittwill be seen that any tendency of the plunger chamber to sink, will; causea pressure of .liquid through .these passagesY into the rvalve chambers K, whichwill. serve to'retainthe valvesKclosely upon their seats, and thuspreventany escape ofttheliquidinto the discharge .passages Wand W; The lift of. the `valves K is limited by the plugs K whichclose the upper ends of their respective chambers. The `discharge ,through the passages S` is the .only point of restriction `of `the How andtwhere .the Lentire regulation is effected by its adjustment. :Thepassages Y. are. extended4 from a point above-.the valves Kzto open against the ,inner sidesothe cylindenAwhere .the pump chamber-B lits it, and as. long as the `pump `chamber does not rise above a certain point, there will be Yno escape `for liquid through the ,ends tot?` these` passages, but itby. any causethe pump chamber B isforced.upwardtbeyond its normaliworking position, the ends of thepas sagesY will =b e raisedt above .the pointtZ `of fthe top chamber L, and will thus. allow afree :escape Aof. liquid .from the plunger. chamber C through thel passages `Y into .thisupperchainber whence it would return aspreviously de- :scribedto the lowerlchamherl: Bythisconstruction I amenabled to control agovernor, the entire operationofswhich isregulated by a single adjustable opening S and `screw stem T. The valves K prevent all outward iiowof oilduringthe periodpftrest of the plungers 1incident to reversing` the movements or any prolonged pause.

` In somecases. itruay be found desirable tto as in casewhere it isapplied to pumps to conztrol theirspeed, and `in which `itis. notdesir- `able `to `have the workingpressure exceed a certain degree. In ordertoeectthis Ihave shown in Fig. 6 acylinderrP connected with the upperpartmof theextension Bf of the pump .chamberB and `movable with it.

In this case the upper end of the stemTvscrews into `the bottom extension Tof the plunger T. This By reason of` IOO plunger extends through the lower end ofthe cylinder P, and at the point where it enters thecylinderissurroundedbycupleather packing V upon which rests a washer to receive a spring u. The upper end of the cylinder P is closed by a screw plug Q, and the plunger T has an upper extension stem T2, the upper end of which rests against the screw. plug Q. The upper end of this stem is screw-threaded, and upon it is fitted a circular nut or ange R loosely fitted, but which cannot revolve in the cylinder P. The lower end of spring u rests upon the washer at the bottom which rests upon the cup leather V, and the upper end presses against the iiange or disk R. The action of this spring is to normally hold the plunger T up with the stem at its upper end in contact with the plug Q, and through this the stem rl is also held up so that the opening S will be of the size to which the normal working speed of the engine requires it to be adjusted, the adjustment being made, as before described, by screwing the stem T up or down, and securing it with the lock-nut t at the bottom of the plunger extension T8.

X is a passage opening into the interior of the cylinder P and towhich a small viexible pipe is to be attached to connect with the discharge of the pump, and when the .pressure reaches or passes the limit which has been set, the water will be forced through the passage X into the cylinder P, and acting upon the plunger T', will overcome the tension of the spring u, and thus force the plunger T down a little, carrying with it the stem T, and thus reducing the passage S. As soon as the engine has again reached its normal rate of speed, the tension of the spring u will overcome the pressure introduced through the passage X, and the plunger T and the stem T will again be raised, enlarging the passage S to its normal size. By this construction I have reduced the number of adjusting parts, have steadied the working of the governor and made it better applicable to the class of machinery for which it is intended.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

'1. A governor consisting of a cylinder containing liquid, a pump chamber movable therein and connected with the supply valve of the engine, alternately reciprocating plungers in the pump chamber, and deriving motion from a moving part of the engine to be governed, said plungers having upwardly opening valves in them, and upwardly opening outer valves from the plunger chambers through which the liquid is forced by the action of the plungers, in combination with passages leading from the outer valve chambers, and an adjustable or controllable transverse passage through which the liquid escapes into the chamber below the pump chamber, substantially as herein described.

2. An exterior liquid containing cylinder, a pump chamber movable therein and connected with the steam inlet valve of the engine, reciprocating plungers tted in the pump chamber and deriving motion from a moving part of the engine, said plungers having valves for the admission of liquid from below, out-let valves in the upper part of the pump chamber through which said liquid is forced by the action of the plungers, and an adjustable or controllable discharge passage or passages through which said liquid is returned to a point below the pump chamber, in combination with passages leading from eachof the plunger chambers to the outlet valve chamber of the opposite plunger whereby the outlet valve from the descending plunger chamber is closed by positive pressure supplied by the ascending plunger, substantially as herein described.

3. A governor consisting of the cylinder containing liquid, a pump chamber movable therein, and connected with the supply valve of the engine, alternately reciprocating plungers operating in corresponding and separate chambers in the pump chamber and deriving motion from a reciprocating part of the engine, inlet and outlet valves through which the liquid is pumped from below the pump chamber, passages by which the liquid is returned to the chamber below, atransverse V- shaped passage S through which the liquid passes, and the screw-stem by which the size of this passage is regulated, substantially as herein described.

4. A governor, consisting of a cylinder containing liquid, a pump chamber movable IOO therein and connected with the supply valve v ofthe engine, alternately reciprocating plungers operated by a moving part of the engine and having inlet and outlet valves, adjustable circulating passages, and the spring O acting upon the pump chamber to force it downwardly, substantially as herein described.

5. A governor consisting of a cylinder containing liquid, a pump chamber movable therein and connected with the engine valve to be governed,alternatelyreciprocating plungers operated by a moving part of the engine and moving in separate chambers in the pump chamber with inlet and outlet valves and circulating passages, and a transverse passage S with the stem T by which its size i's regulated, in combination with a supplemental cylinder carried upon the upper end of the pump chamber, and having a passage by which liquid is admitted into said cylinder, a plunger moving therein and having the upper end of the adjusting stem T connected therewith, and the spring controlling said plunger, substantially as herein described.

h In witness whereof I have hereunto set my and.

IIO, 

